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(No Model.)

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E. OAPITAINB, MECHANICAL KEY BOARD PLAYER.

Patented June 3, 1890.

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E. GAPITAINE. I MECHANICAL KEY BOARD PLAYER- No. 429,419. Patented June 3, 1890.

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B. CAPITAINE. I MECHANICAL KEY BOARD PLAYER.

Patented June 3,1890.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OEEicE,

EMIL OAPITAINE, OF EILENBURG, GERMANY.

MECHANICAL KEY-BOARD PLAYER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 429,419, dated June 3, 1890.

Application filed October 3, 1889. $erialNo. 325,905. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EMIL CAPITAINE, of Eilenburg, Germany, a citizen of Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatical lVlusic-Instruments, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved device to be attached to or upon key-instruments for the purpose of operating or playing the same by means of a slotted or perforated sheet or strip or disk.

The object of my invention is to provide a device of this kind which can easily be attached to the instrument and by means of which any desired melody can be played perfectly on any key-instrument lhe invention consists in the construction and combination of parts and details, as will be fully described and set forth hereinafter, and finally pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical transverse sectional View of one construction of my improved attachment for playing key-instruments. Fig. 2 is a detail top View of the key-presser. Fig. 3 is a detail longitudinal sectional view of a modification of the same. Fig. 4is a vertical sectional view of the device for raising and lowering the key-presser. Fig. 5 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of my improved playing attachment, the same being mounted to pass into the casing of the key-instrument. Fig. 6 is a sectional plan view of the same. Fig. 7 is a vertical transverse sectional view of the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

My improved playing attachment can be arranged in two diiterent ways, either to depress the outer ends of the keys, and in that case the mechanism is arranged above the key-board and outside of the same, or the device can be arranged to raise the inner ends of the key-levers, and then the device is arranged below the keyboard. Both constructions in general are the same, and only differ some in details and the manner of application. In the construction in which the mechanism is above the keys said mechanism is placed into a casing A, supported by legs B, which may be provided with devices for raising and lowering them, which devices are not shown and may have any desired construction. To plates 1) b on a transverse rail B extending across the top of the casing, a series of anglelevers a are pivoted in line in such a manner that one shank of each lever projects from the underside of the transverse rail B and a beveled spring or toe a 011 the end of the other shank of each lever project-s above the tops of the plates and can be acted upon by the perforated or slotted music-sheet O, which rests upon and slides over the plates Z) l) and is wound upon a roller D, suitably mounted in bearings on the casing A, and from which roller it can be unwound upon an other and similar roller upon the opposite end of the casing, the latter roller not being shown. The levers a pass through suitable slots in the raill3 Theleversaarearrangedintwcgroups, and between the same a wheel (1 is mounted, from the rim of which a series of teeth g project, that can enter apertures arranged in a longitut'linal row on the music strip or sheet (J. Said wheel (1 is fixed on a suitable shaft q, journaled in the casing A, and said shaft and wheel are driven by means of suitable beveled gearing p from a shaft p,on one end of which a crank or key or any other suitable device for rotating it can be applied. The inner end of each downwz-rrdly projecting shank of the lever to is connected by a pullrod'f with the crank end of a wire or rod f, mounted to turn in suitable bearings or sleeves on the under side of the plate A of the casing A, which wire or rod f is provided on the ends opposite the ones provided with the crank f with a crank-arm f that can act on the upper end of a screw 9 on a lever h, pivoted between suitable jaws of a rail C arranged in the casing below the horizontal partition A and extending in the direction of the length of the apparatus. 011 the opposite end of each lever 7L a spring h acts, which is fixed in the casing or on suitable rod in the same and serves to press down one end of the lever h, thereby pressing the head on the screw 9 against the corresponding crank f To that end of the lever h on which the spring h acts a friction-lever it is pivoted, which is provided on its lower end with ase Lil mental friction-surface 711, that can restupon and be actuated by a l'riction-rolierE, mounted in the casing A and parallel with the front of the keyboard, which Friction-roller E is retated by the shaft 7 or driving mechanism ot the same by means of a belt W (Shown in dotted lines in Fig. U.) The friction-lever 7. is provided with a Iixed arm '1', to which, atnz, is pivoted one end of an angle-lever I, pivoted to suitable jaws on the lower end of a screwbloek K. into the threaded aperture ol which a screw K is scrcweihthe upper end of which screw is mounted to turn in a socket- A in the top of the casing A, said screw being provided above the socket with a squared end, on which a key M can be applied for turning said screw, and thereby raising and lowering the screw-block K, and thus adjusting the angle-lever Z in relation to the corresponding key F. On that end of the lever Z adjacent to the key a clip L is fastened by means of two screws 71, of which the inner one is passed through a slot 12 of the said clip, thus permitting of adjusting said. clip laterally, so that the free end of the same will be directly above the center of the key. On said free end of the clip L a downwardly-projecting keypresscr Z is f21StO110d,\\'liiGil is preferably provided with a felt or leather head.

If desired, the key-presser L can be secured on the end of a bent lever U, the opposite end of which is passed through an aperture in the lever Z, which lever IF can be adjusted laterally on the end of the lever Z and locked in the desired position by means of the nut n as shown in Fig. 3.

The operation is as follows: As longas the music-sheet (I, which is held on the transverse rail 13 by a suitable lever W, acts on the beveled ends or prongs a of the lovers (t and holds them down the inner ends of said levers Ct are raised and the cranks are bent down and press down the screws 7 and levers 72, whereby these ends of the lovers 72 on which the springs in act are raised and are also the friction-levers 7;, and their tricti(in-surfaces are not in contact with the friction-roller E, which rotates in the direction of the arrow 0;. As soon as the beveied prong or toe 0. of a lever a arrives at a slot or aperture in the music-sheet it snaps upward, the corresponding spring 7i presses down the corresponding lever 71, and the friction-surface of the corresponding friction-lever 7; is brought in contact with the friction-roller E and swung in the same direction as the arrow ni whereby that end of the lever Z connected with the arm e'of said friction-lever is raised and the op posite end carrying the key-presser is depressed and in turn depresses the key. \Vhen the length of the slot in the music has passed the beveled prong or toe ct of the lever a, the solid part of the music-sheet acts on the said toe again and presses it inward, whereby that end of the lever 71 opposite the one acted upon by the spring 725 is depressed and the one acted upon by the spring is raised, and thus the friction-leverluis raised from the frictionroller E and swungback in the inverse direction of the arrow 15 The levers L eanbe adjusted vertically, so as to be in proper position for the key, and the key-pressers I can be adjusted laterally,so as to be over the longitudinal central. lines of the keys. In the construction shown in Figs. 5, ti, and 7 the casing A mounted to slide on cleats I, secured to the piano-casing G. In this construction the shaft 1 has a cog-wheel V, engaging a pnuon V on acrank-shaft N in the side of the piano casing as shown in Figs. 5 and ii. In this construction the cranks act on the stand ards g" of thelcvers 7r, pivoted on arail I\,the opposite ends of said levers being ptvoted to the friction-levers 7;. Each .triction-lever is provided with an arm i, having a pivot in, on which the forked end of a \"er ticallysliding push-bar Z rests, the upper end 1'' of which can press the inner end oi. the key F upward. A screw 71, at the inner end of the key-lever, rests on a shoulder or abutment of the rod 1, and serves for adjusting the key-lever in relation to said pushrod. Whenever an anglelever snaps upward the triction'surfaee of the friction-lever 7;. comes in contact with the roller E, the rod Z moved upward and acts on the key, shown in Fig. 5. The plates 1) Z) are pivoted at e c and provided at their opposite ends with transverse slots d (I, through which pins 0 0 pass. These plates 1) Z1, to which said levers a are pivoted, permit of. aligning the prongs or toes a, according to the music-sheet in case the same has warped or contracted.

It is evident that the above-described mech anism can be used with a rotativc music sheet or disk, as wellas with a. longitudinallymovable sheet.

Having thus described my invention, I claim. as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In a mechanical playing attachmentfor playing key-instruments, the combination, with a key-presser, ot a friction-lever connected with the same, a friction-roller adapted to act on the friction-lever, and mechanism, substantially as herein shown and described, for moving the friction-lever toward or from the friction-roller, and a vertically-adjustable block in which the kcy-presser is pivoted, substantially as set forth.

2. In a mechanical playingattachment, the combination, with a key-presser, ot' a frictionlever connected with the same, a frictionrollcr adapted to act on the friction-lever, a screw-block in which the key-presser is pivoted, a screw screwed into said screw-block and serving for vertically adjusting said block, and mechanism, substantially as herein shown and described, for adjusting the friction-lever by the action of a perforated music-sheet, substantially as set forth.

In a mechanical playing attachment, the combination, with the pivoted lever 7, of a friction-lever connected with the same, a fric- .tt ion-roller adapted to act on the friction-le ver, mechanism, substan tially as herein shown and described, for shifting the friction-lever toward or from the friction-roller by the action of the perforated music-sheet, and a lat- 1; rally-adj usting key-pressing head on one ml of the lever Z, substantially as set forth. 4. In a mechanical playing attachment, the ombination, with a rail 13 the adjustable lates b b, pivoted on the same, angledevers (1L, pivoted in said plates 1) b, the rodsf, the ,erankrods f, the levers h, the friction-levers 75, the friction-roller E, and key-pressers act-nated by said friction-lever, substantially as g Set forth. n

scribing witnesses.

EMIL CAPITAINE.

\Vitnesscs:

CARL BORN UAEBER, BRNH. POWELMANN. 

